


Unmute My Heart

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Confessions, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining, Sick Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Soft Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Teacher Josh Russo, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27890317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: When Christopher gets sick the night of a parent-teacher conference, his new teacher, Josh, suggests a Zoom meeting with Eddie. Even after an awkward first encounter, Eddie finds himself drawn to the man. But he holds himself back, not wanting to complicate things by getting involved with Christopher's teacher. But he won't be Christopher's teacher forever.
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)/Josh Russo, Evan “Buck” Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10





	Unmute My Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LovelyLittleGrim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyLittleGrim/gifts).



> For Amanda, who inspired this.

If there is one thing Eddie is certain of when it comes to his son, it’s that he doesn’t lie. That’s just not the kind of kid he is. There are times he might not always tell Eddie what he’s feeling, like after the tsunami. But they’re working on that. And that had been more to protect Eddie than to lie as a way to get out of something.

So when Christopher comes to him an hour before they’re supposed to leave for his meeting with his new teacher sniffling and saying he doesn’t feel good, Eddie knows without a doubt he’s telling the truth. He also knows there is no way he’s leaving him alone tonight, parent-teacher conference be damned. 

So he calls Christopher’s teacher, Josh, and tells him he won’t be able to come in. He expects the man to just want to reschedule, but then he suggests having a Zoom meeting instead. Eddie doesn’t know the last thing about Zoom, but he doesn’t say that. He agrees to get online in half an hour so they can talk, giving the man enough time to get home, and Eddie a chance to hopefully get some medicine into Christopher. Which he does not have.

Shit.

“Dad,” Christopher groans from the couch. “My throat hurts.”

“I know, buddy,” Eddie says, running a hand through his hair. “We’re going to get you some medicine, okay?”

Eddie debates his options. He doesn’t want to have to put Christopher into the car to go to the store. But Christopher needs his medicine.

So he calls Buck. If there’s one person he knows he can count on to drop everything and help out with Christopher, it’s him. 

Of course he also shows up with ingredients to make homemade soup and some ice cream. That’s just who Buck is, and Eddie is grateful. He’s been so worried he hadn’t even thought about dinner. Or he  _ had _ . When he planned to go to the conference in person and was going to take Christopher for pizza after. But that plan had gone out the window.

“You really are a lifesaver,” Eddie tells him. “Seriously.”

“Yeah yeah,” Buck waves him off and hands Eddie the medicine. “You can thank me by making sure Chris gets better.”

“I'm doing what I can," Eddie says. He looks to where Christopher is slumped on the couch and frowns. "He really is miserable."

"Well the medicine and soup should do it," Buck says. He hands over the bottle of cough medicine. "When's your meeting?"

"About five minutes," Eddie says, checking his watch. "I think I'm logged on. I don't know. I've never zoomed before."

Buck chuckles, "Okay old man."

"When would I have any reason to?" Eddie asks him. 

"Fair enough," Buck says. "But lucky for you, I know exactly what I'm doing. So come on. I'll get you set up and then the soup on."

Eddie follows him into the living room and takes a seat between him and Christopher on the couch. The laptop is set up in front of them on the coffee table. 

"Ready buddy?" Eddie asks. 

"I guess so," Christopher says. "Why do I have to be here? I already know my teacher?"

Eddie smiles, "I know. We just need to see how things are going and then we'll get you fed and to bed. Okay?"

"First you need to take your medicine," Buck reminds them. His tongue is peeking through his teeth as he taps some buttons on the computer. "You're in, by the way. And he said to give him a few to get set up."

Eddie nods, "Great. Thanks Buck." Eddie grabs the medicine off the table and pours out the amount he needs before turning to Christopher. "Ready?"

Christopher wrinkles his nose, "It's not grape, is it?"

"Afraid so," Eddie says. 

"That's the only kind that had," Buck says. "Sorry, buddy."

"It's okay." Christopher takes the cup and stares at it for a few seconds before bringing it to his lips and drinking it down. He grimaces and hands Eddie the cup back. "Gross."

Eddie rubs his back, "I know, but hopefully it'll have you feeling better."

"It better."

Eddie smiles and turns back to the computer. A man is on screen, his head bowed slightly as he examines something in front of him.

“Why is he wearing a suit?” Eddie says, tilting his head as he studies the man on screen.

“What if he’s not wearing pants?” Buck asks.

Eddie snorts, “Not everyone is like you, Buck.”

“Hey, no one can see that low,” Buck tells him. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable.”

“If you say so,” Eddie mutters. He looks back at the man on screen, trying not to make it seem like he’s watching him. That would be creepy. But… “He is cute.”

“Very cute,” Buck agrees. 

“So cute,” Eddie sighs. “And he looks good in a suit.”

“He’s your type,” Christopher says.

“Not you too,” Eddie groans. “And I don’t have a type.”

“You do,” Buck says. “And he’s right there in front of you. Smiling. Actually he looks like he’s trying not to laugh.”

Buck is right. Josh is looking right at them, his lips pursed, but there’s a hint of a smile. “Oh my god.”

“I think he can hear us,” Buck muses.

“No way.”

“He can,” Buck says. “Watch.” To Josh, he says. “Blink three times into the camera if you can hear us.”

Eddie watches in horror as Josh leans in closer to his webcam and blinks three times. “Oh my god.”

Eddie doesn’t think. He stands up and runs from the room, leaving a cackling Buck behind him. Buck joins him in the kitchen after a minute or two, looking far too pleased with himself. “Did you know it wasn’t on mute?”

“Not at first,” Buck says.

“I cannot believe this,” Eddie sighs. “I just made an ass of myself in front of Christopher’s new teacher. How am I supposed to face him now?”

“Well you kind of don’t have a choice,” Buck tells him. “He’s waiting for you.”

“Shit.”

“I don’t think he minded,” Buck says. “In fact, I think he’s kind of into it.”

“Dad!” Christopher calls from the living room. “Come on.”

“Well I guess I can’t put this off any longer,” Eddie sighs. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” Buck calls after him.

Eddie squares his shoulders and walks back into the living room where Christopher is waiting on the couch. He can't quite look at Josh's face as he addresses him. "I really appreciate you doing this virtually."

"Oh course," Josh says, and God even his voice is attractive. Something he hadn't really noticed on the phone, too worried about Christopher. But now… No. He needs to focus. "I've really been looking forward to meeting you. Christopher talks so highly of you. He has everyone thinking you're a superhero."

"He is," Christopher says. "He saves people."

Eddie smiles and brushes a hand through his hair. "I'm just doing my job."

"Still, that's not a job for everyone," Josh says. "You must be very brave."

"I think you're the brave one," Eddie says. "Teaching a bunch of ten year olds."

Josh laughs, "I guess there are different kinds of bravery."

Eddie looks at him fully then, taking in his kind smile that has his eyes crinkling. "So about Christopher," Josh continues. 

It's easy after that, Josh talking to Eddie about the areas Christopher is excelling and the ones he might need a little help in. Math. It's always math. Christopher groans when Josh mentions it and Eddie smiles.

"Unfortunately he seems to have gotten his aversion to math from me," Eddie says.

"We'll figure something out," Josh says. "Not everyone learns the same, so we'll find out what helps Christopher and get him on track."

Eddie relaxes at that. He's so used to people thinking he's the problem or it's Christopher's fault he's not getting it. To have someone genuinely wanting to help him means more than he can say.

"Thank you," Eddie says. 

"You don't have to thank me," Josh says. "I'm just doing my job."

"Not everyone sees it that way," Eddie admits.

"Christopher's a bright kid, Eddie," Josh says. "Him struggling with math isn't from lack of effort. Especially with him excelling in so many other areas. He just needs the right tools to learn. And we'll get him that."

"Can I go eat now?" Christopher mumbles. "I'm sleepy and want soup."

Eddie smiles, "Sure, buddy. Why don't you go see if Buck is done with the soup?"

"Kay. Night Mr. Russo."

"Goodnight Christopher," Josh says. "I hope you'll feel better soon."

Christopher waves at the screen and then pads tiredly towards the kitchen. 

"Really Eddie," Josh says, drawing his attention back to him. "Christopher is a great kid. You should be proud."

"I am," Eddie says. "I definitely got lucky with that one."

"I'll let you go enjoy your dinner," Josh says. "If you need anything or have any questions, you have my number."

"Thanks Josh," Eddie smiles. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

They disconnect and Eddie goes to the kitchen. Christopher is sitting at the table, a bowl of soup in front of him. 

"Smells good," Eddie says, looking into the pot. Chicken noodle. Of course. 

"I made enough for you to have some and then leftovers for tomorrow," Buck tells him.

"You really are a lifesaver," Eddie says.

"It's nothing," Buck says. He hands Eddie a bowl and smiles. "Now go eat while I put this away."

"You're not staying?" Eddie questions. 

"Nah I have an early shift tomorrow so I need to get home and get some rest," Buck says. 

"Man you didn't need to come over here if you work tomorrow," Eddie tells him. "I could have figured something else out."

"What? And miss you swooning over Christopher's teacher?" Buck teases. 

"I wasn't swooning," Eddie says. 

"Uh huh."

"I wasn't."

"Eddie man, you totally were," Buck says. 

"You were!" Christopher calls from the table.

Eddie raises an eyebrow. "Seriously? Both of you?"

"We call it like we see it," Buck says. 

"Yeah!" Christopher agrees. 

Eddie laughs and points a finger at Christopher, "You just eat your soup."

Christopher giggles but then does as he's told. Eddie joins him at the table with his soup and starts digging in, not wanting to let it get cold. He's halfway through the bowl when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He pulls it out, confused when he sees a new text alert from Josh. 

He opens it, and his eyes scan over the message. 

_ It was nice talking to you tonight, Eddie. I hope to do it again soon. _

"Oh yep, he's totally swooning," Buck says. "Mr. Russo must have texted him."

"I'm not swooning," Eddie mutters. Sure, he can't keep the smile off his face. But he's not swooning. 

"But you are texting Josh," Buck says.

"He may have sent me a text," Eddie says. 

"Uh huh and?"

"And nothing," Eddie says. "He's Christopher's teacher."

And that's the problem isn't it? He's Christopher's me teacher, and a damn good one. No matter what Eddie might be starting to feel for the guy he can't act on it. 

Even if he wishes he could.

Still, that doesn't mean he can't talk to Josh. And they talk a lot. Sometimes about Christopher and how he's doing, sometimes about other things. It's nice. But the problem is that the more he gets to know Josh, the more he likes him. He finds himself yearning for more. No, not yearning. That's Buck's words. Wishing and hoping don't seem to fit. Hell, maybe he is yearning. 

But there's still nothing he can do about it. Not while Josh is Christopher's teacher.

* * *

It's the first day of summer break, and Eddie has the night off. It's needed after the last few days. He loves his job, but sometimes it does take its toll on him, and he just needs some time to unwind.

He's about to settle in with beer and some random movie when a knock sounds at the door. At first, Eddie thinks it's probably Buck coming to check in. But Buck rarely knocks anymore. 

Instead, he opens the door to see Josh standing there, clad in jeans and a t-shirt.

"Josh?" Eddie questions, looking out at the man on his porch.

"I take it by the shocked expression on your face that Christopher didn't tell you I was coming," Josh guesses. 

Eddie shakes his head. "He didn't." He'd definitely remember if he had. 

Josh sighs, "He said this was your idea. But I can see that wasn't the case."

Eddie thinks about the smile and wink Christopher had given him when he'd left for his sleepover earlier. That kid knew exactly what he was doing. "Seems we've been set up."

"Seems so," Josh says. 

Eddie's eyes drift to the box in his hands. "Is that pizza?"

"It is."

"Well then I guess you'll have to come in," Eddie says.

"Yeah?"

"It would be a shame for the pizza to go to waste," Eddie tells him.

Josh smiles, "Yes, we can't have that."

Eddie steps back and let's Josh walk by into the house. He closes the door and nods down the hall. "Kitchen's in there. Or…"

"Or?"

"We could eat in the living room and watch a movie?"

"That does seem less formal," Josh says.

"Is that a bad thing?" Eddie asks. 

Josh smiles, "Definitely not."

"Great," Eddie says, returning the smile. Something about Josh's smile and knowing he's going to be spending the evening alone with him has Eddie's stomach swooping in a way he's come to be familiar with when it comes to Josh. "I'll uhh… I'll go get some plates and drinks. Do you want a beer? Water?"

Josh eyes him for a moment and bites his lip, "You know, normally I would do the responsible thing and go with water."

"But tonight?"

"I'm feeling a little more daring," Josh says softly. 

Their eyes meet and Eddie’s mouth goes dry. It doesn't seem like they're talking about beer versus water anymore. But Eddie's afraid to ask. Afraid to kill the mood. But he needs to understand exactly what's going on here. 

Eddie takes the pizza box, sets it on the table, and turns back to Josh. He steps closer, his heart racing inside his chest. "What do you want, Josh?"

"You." Josh's eyes widen at the word, as if he hadn't meant to be so blunt. Eddie wonders if he'll take it back. He hopes he won't. Josh squares his shoulders. "I like you, Eddie. And I know we've been holding back because I'm Christopher's teacher. Or, I was. But that stopped at 3 p.m. today. So I'd really just like to spend some time with you, not as Christopher's teacher, but just Josh, a guy that really likes you. If that's okay with you."

"That's more okay." Eddie smiles and brushes his fingers against Josh's. Because yeah, he can now. "I like you too."

"Oh good," Josh says. "I was hoping I hadn't been reading things wrong."

"You haven’t," Eddie tells him. 

"So," Josh says. His thumb brushes lightly against Eddie's wrist. "Pizza and a movie?"

"It's a date," Eddie says.

Josh grins, and Eddie can't stop from leaning in and kissing his cheek. It's worth it to see the way Josh blushes. "I'll get the drinks," he says, and reluctantly steps back. 

He grabs a couple beers from the fridge, along with some napkins, and takes a moment to calm down. It's just Josh. He shouldn't be so nervous. But he is. This whole thing is new and exciting, and sure, a little terrifying. There's a lot that could go wrong here, but there's also a lot that could go right too. 

And looking at Josh, sitting on the couch as he walks into the room, Eddie can't help but feel like he belongs there. It's not the first time he's sat there certainly, but tonight it feels different. Because it is. 

That much is clear by the way they sit closer as they eat their pizza, and then the way Josh curls up against him during the movie, Eddie's arm draped across his shoulders and Josh's head tucked against his chest. It feels right. 

Nothing’s more right than the kiss that they share before Josh leaves that night, soft and lingering. Not a goodbye, but a promise for more. This time maybe it is hope Eddie feels blooming in his chest as Josh kisses him. And that hope, like the man in his arms, is a beautiful, wonderful thing. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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